Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti will be clashing for the 11th time in their careers when they square off in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
Djokovic leads the head-to-head series 9-1 and has won six in a row against Musetti since his only defeat by a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 decision at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters. The 38-year-old is 4-0 on hard courts and has dominated in their two outdoor court matches – 6-3, 6-3 at the 2022 Dubai tournament and 6-2, 6-2 last spring in Miami. They recently met in the final in Athens, which Djokovic won 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
That performance in Athens was thought to be a must-win match for Musetti in his bid to pass Felix Auger-Aliassime for the final spot at the Nitto ATP Finals. However, Djokovic withdrew from Turin soon after – thus giving way to Italy.
An appearance at the year-end tournament was a well-deserved reward for Musetti’s efforts in 2025. The world No. 5 reached three finals (including Monte-Carlo), advanced to two other Masters 1000 semifinals, and made runs to the semifinals of the French Open and the quarterfinals of the US Open. Musetti returned to another Grand Slam quarter thanks to victories over Raphael Collignon (with a fourth-set retirement), Lorenzo Sonego, Tomas Machac (with five sets), and Taylor Fritz.
Djokovic had no problem getting a place in the last eight. In fact, no one has played less tennis in four rounds than the fourth-ranked Serb. He dropped Pedro Martinez, Francesco Maestrelli, and Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets before getting a walkover from Jakub Mensik on Monday.
Even though Djokovic is a bit past his prime, he remains at full strength in the majors – especially when he’s fit and well-rested. It certainly is right now thanks in part to three full days off due to Mensik’s withdrawal.
Although Musetti has the game to challenge anyone, it is unlikely that he will have the necessary belief given his lack of experience in the game.
Pick: Djokovic at 4
